According to a recent study by McKinsey, 61% of physicians in children's hospitals are experiencing at least one dimension of burnout (Baer et al, 2014). Sharpen is addressing these challenges in multiple ways:
1. Sharpen provides evidence-based tools that improve physician and front line health worker mental health literacy, decrease stigma and improve resiliency, competency and confidence in addressing mental health issues with patients.
2. Sharpen provides toolkits that can be deployed (de-identified) from medical professionals directly to patients to improve the patient understanding of mental wellness and resiliency.
3. We improve medical student and resident mental health literacy through an evidence-based program designed with and for medical students.
Each approach is outlined below.
Why physician mental health matters.
One in five pediatricians plans to leave their job in the next year, and nearly half of those considering leaving in the next five years plan to leave medicine entirely.
At least one third of practicing pediatricians suffer from burnout syndrome (Al-Youbi & Jan, 2013).
A total of 152 pediatric fellows were surveyed "most reported believing that their program directors (78%), attending physicians (72%), and patients (82%) hold negative attitudes about mental illness and its treatment; 68% believed that employers would reject their application if they knew they sought counseling. Fellows with burnout were more likely to believe that others in the clinical learning environment hold negative views of help seeking for behavioral health. (Aronson, 2021)."
Tools to improve physician mental health literacy.
Since our inception in 2014, Sharpen has worked to develop tools that support medical provider's mental wellness. In 2020 the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) awarded a grant to create peer focused documentary film modules that support the mental health and wellbeing of physicians and front line health workers.
The "Mindful MATTERS" toolkit includes hundreds of mental health modules that support and enhance health worker mental health literacy. We deployed the toolkit in 2020 at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System with hundreds of active users engaging in emotional and wellness content. The associates engaged in over 151 courses and 1,396 "connect" clicks to crisis support or mental health support services. Mental health topics included:
Childhood trauma and abuse
Health worker family stress
Anxiety disorders
Childhood resiliency
Setting boundaries
"5 Minute Mindfulness" for kids
Mindful eating
National parenting resources
Stress and the nervous system
Title IX and reporting
Affirmations
Covid stress reduction
Exercise addiction
Frontline COVID stress
Managing stress
Learn more / sign up for a demo to deploy a customized Sharpen toolkit to front line health workers.
Tools physicians and health workers can deploy to improve patient (and family) mental health
In 2022 we began deploying a version of Sharpen that pediatricians and health workers can "prescribe" directly to patients and their parents while on a wait list for mental health services, in addition to a suicide prevention toolkit for providers who are facing crisis situations.
Most notably, this toolkit is being utilized as part of a suicide prevention initiative throughout New York City whereby social workers, licensed clinicians and health workers deploy protective content to clients in distress.
Tools to improve medical student mental health
With researchers at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), the Sharpen team has worked to develop a specific toolkit to support medical students and residents. Findings from the study were presented at the 2023 American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) - Annal Education Leaders Conference.
A customized version of the Sharpen service called "MindfulMEDS" was developed with peer-focused interactive modules specific to the medical student population. A mixed-methods approach including surveys and focus groups assessed participant resiliency, demographic information, perception of mental health, and evaluation of the app.
A total of 215 users were registered in MindfulMEDS, consumed over 83 mental health literacy courses and engaged in 1,428 “connect clicks” to community resources and crisis-response supports. A significant decrease in the perception of mental health stigma associated with utilizing mental health resources was observed. Focus group participants reported the screening tools to be useful and encouraged expansion to share the tools with patients.
Learn more / sign up for a demo to deploy a customized Sharpen toolkit to front line health workers.
References
Al-Youbi, R. A., & Jan, M. M. (2013). Burnout syndrome in pediatric practice. Oman medical journal, 28(4), 252–254. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2013.71
Aronson, P. (2021). Shedding light on burnout among pediatric subspecialty fellows. American Academy of Pediatrics. Retrieved via: https://publications.aap.org/journal-blogs/blog/15687/Shedding-Light-on-Burnout-Among-Pediatric
Baer, T. E., Feraco, A. M., Tuysuzoglu Sagalowsky, S., Williams, D., Litman, H. J., & Vinci, R. J. (2017). Pediatric Resident Burnout and Attitudes Toward Patients. Pediatrics, 139(3), e20162163. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2163
COVID collaborative data, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, May 27, 2021.
Fadel, N., Stoner, A., Ridgeway, L. (2023). Stigma, Resilience and Connectedness in Medical School: How a Mental Health App Can Help. American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) - Annal Education Leaders Conference. April 27, 2023.
McKinsey & Company Children's Hospital Physician Survey retrieved via: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/improving-pediatrician-well-being-and-career-satisfaction
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